Baby Steps and Baby Names
by Ren Kayashima
Summary: Jason Reid's first day of Kindergarten has arrived, and Spencer couldn't be more nervous.


Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Humor

Rating: K

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

**Important: This is a one-shot that ties in with my Ibuprofen and Plasma story. It stands on its own though, but if you want the full story of how Gwenevere and Spencer meet, check out Ibuprofen and Plasma. **

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September 2, 2020

Reid looked out the window of Gwenevere's van. The elementary school grounds were filled with anxious parents, experienced parents, cheerful teachers, and hyperactive children. He blew out a sigh and waited for his wife to turn the van off before he opened his door. He stepped out in the warm air and pulled the passenger door open with a light tug.

Jason Reid had already unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the back excitedly. He grabbed his backpack and shouldered it quickly. He puffed his chest out in an effort to look big among the other children running around. Gwen came around and gave Spencer a kiss on the cheek before she climbed in the back to unbuckle her daughter, Bronte, from the car seat. Gwen looked out at her son and smiled. "Don't forget your lunch bag, Jason," she said, placing the one year old baby in Spencer's open arms.

"Oh!" Jason's eye's widened and grabbed the Batman lunchbox he carried from the floor of the van. "I can't forget that," he mumbled to himself.

Bronte slapped Spencer's cheek lightly before she grabbed onto the collar of his shirt. Spencer held onto the small child tightly and looked around for the friends that had promised they would come see Jason off with the Reid's.

"JJ and Will are dropping Henry off," Gwen pointed across the lawn towards the married couple, knowing that Spencer was looking for everyone else. "I'm sure Hotch is next door dropping Jack off at his first day of eighth grade."

"All we're missing is Garcia and Morgan," Spencer said. "Rossi said he would be here to pick Jason up, though, because of your afternoon lecture. Prentiss said she would Skype with us later from London."

"Don't count Green Arrow and Black Canary out just yet. They're loyal members of The Justice League of America," Gwenevere grinned. She closed the sliding door and pulled her messenger bag over her shoulder.

"You're still trying to figure out codenames for everyone, aren't you?" Reid asked as he attempted to stop Bronte from pushing his cheeks together so that Daddy had fish lips.

"Why not?" Gwen answered with a shrug. She crouched down to zip up Jason's open backpack. She looked up and saw Morgan and Garcia walking down the sidewalk towards them. "Here comes Green Arrow and Black Canary."

Reid looked over his shoulder and Bronte took this opportunity to pull at her father's tie. Reid felt the tie get slightly tighter as Morgan hurried over with a laugh. "How's my little trouble maker. Want to come see Uncle Derek?" he asked, holding his arms out for the child.

Bronte tried to move towards the inviting embrace, but her father's embrace was too tight. She started to whimper and looked at her father as if he had done her a personal wrong by keeping her from her favorite Uncle Derek. Morgan grinned and waited for Reid to loosen his grip on the child before he lifted her into his arms.

"Ah, she loves Uncle Derek more than she loves her Papa," Garcia cooed as she sidled up next to Gwen. "You look nervous, Mama Bear."

Gwen pulled Jason into a backwards hug. "I'm about three minutes away from bawling my eyes out. Jason's growing up too fast."

"Mom," Jason groaned.

Gwen and Garcia laughed heartily as Jason pulled away from his mother and ran to meet up with Henry who had also broken free from his parents.

Morgan looked at Reid. "How do you feel?" he asked, lifting Bronte up high before bringing her down slowly as he made faces. Bronte gave a shriek of laughter and clapped her hands. "First kid going off to school all day, and all?"

"We've had Jason in preschool for two years," Reid said. "I don't think it's going to be too much different." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked around.

He was lying of course. Preschool could only prepare him for the inevitable. Today was the day that Jason Reid started the real academic world. Sure, Gwen and Spencer had taught him at home, the kid knew sign language almost fluently like his mother and he showed excellence in music with the afternoon piano lessons. Spencer had taught Jason how to read and count to numbers as high as one hundred. Their son was bright, and school was the next step to making sure Jason Reid made it to college.

"You have one more to brave in a few years," Morgan said as he continued to play with Bronte. "And this one's a trouble maker. Yes you are." He directed the last comment to the little girl as she wiggled around in his arms.

"Two more," Reid corrected after he got a nod of approval from Gwen. The others would find out anyway sooner or later.

Morgan paused with Bronte held high, and looked from Reid to Gwen and back to Reid. "Two?" he asked. "You mean we're going to have another baby genius running around in nine months?" He lowered the baby as she fussed slightly.

"Gwenevere just found out yesterday," Spencer nodded, relieved to have Bronte back at eye level. "We started going over names yesterday."

"If it's a boy, he'll be named Derek, right?" Morgan asked with a smirk. "It's a great name."

"Why would they name their baby after you?" Penelope teased. She looked at Gwen and winked. "However, Penelope is a great name and totally up for grabs." She nudged Gwen with her elbow.

"I'm set on Diana actually," Gwen smiled touching her stomach. "After Spencer's mom." Gwen looked over towards Jason and smiled slightly.

Spencer followed her gaze and he watched as Jason climbed on top of an old tree stump. The boy pumped his fist in the air as he shouted his dominance over the other boys who had failed to get up first. He felt the muscles in his throat constrict slightly. He was nervous, but he didn't want to show it.

A part of it was guilt. Spencer hadn't been there when Gwenevere took Jason to his first day of preschool two years ago, and he was late to the second year last time. This was the first day of kindergarten, and he wasn't going to miss it, but now he wondered if he could make it without finding the situation to be slightly heart wrenching. How did Gwen do it? Would Jason even like spending the entire day at school? The past two years, he spent his afternoons in Gwen's office at the Georgetown or with Uncle Dave.

"You look like you're ready to pass out," Morgan chuckled. "Jason's handling this better than you."

Gwen slid an arm through the crook of her husband's arm. "Baby steps. We prepared for this. I can't have you passing out on me because you can't handle all those complex human emotions," she teased, kissing him on the cheek. "What will happen when he goes off to Berkeley to study English? Are you going to stay at the house?"

"He's going to MIT to study Engineering," Spencer said hastily. "And that's still a long way from now."

"Is it?" Morgan asked hugging Bronte close. The baby hugged his bald head and kissed it. He grinned and smiled at the baby earnestly. "Am I right, Bronte? Yeah, time's just going to slip away, isn't it? And you'll get married, and Daddy won't like it. Uncle Derek won't either. So stay single."

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Author's Note: My last two finals of spring semester were today, so I bring you this little piece that I've been working on for over a month. I hope you like it. As I said this is connected to the IAP Universe.

Leave me a review if you so desire.

Ren


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